20 Questions
by CaskettFreak101
Summary: Castle and Beckett play 20 questions. Multi chapter fic.
1. Prologue

20 Questions:

They sat comfortably on the couch, wrapped up in each other's arms. Their legs stretched out, her head leaning against his chest, his hand playing with her curly locks. It was one of those rare weekends where they were alone, and free, without an impending murder out there waiting for their attention. Martha had gone, well, somewhere, on a new conquest, and Alexis had decided to stay in campus to spend time with her boyfriend, and finish studying for her finals. She was reading Heat Wave and he was watching TV. So very domestic.

It was peaceful and intimate, and Kate felt like she could stay like that for eternity. Safe, secure and warm in his arms, for the rest of her life. Metaphorically, at least, if not literally (they'd need bathroom breaks and food, right?). Nothing could ruin the moment.

"Hey Kate? I'm sort of bored. Can we play a game?"

Nothing but her man child of a boyfriend. She sat up and turned around, now facing him, and sighed. "What do you have in mind, Castle?"

"Strip Poker."

"Ha, no way. Remember how that ended last time?"

"Last time? How'd it end.. Oh. Yeah. Last time. That was fun. We should do that again some time." his eyes lighting up with realisation.

"We didn't even play ONE round, Rick." she said, rolling her eyes.

"But we did, my dear Kate. 3 rounds in fact." He waggled his eyebrows, smirking at her.

"You're disgusting. And unbelievable." She rolled her eyes, again.

"But yet you love me."

Sigh. "Any ideas, Rick, or can I go back to my book?"

"Enjoying a certain steamy scene of a certain Page 105 are we?"

"Shut up." She looked down and turned bright red under his scrutinizing gaze.

"Oh my God! You are, aren't you?" He said, his smug grin lighting up his face.

"No..."

"Liar."

"Shut it. And wipe that grin off your face" He just grinned even more. Cheeky man. She looked back at her book, attempting to read, but his shit eating grin was just growing and growing, fingers teasing her sides.

"I said wipe it off, not make it bigger. God, do you know how hard you are? I can't even read my book. Stop it, Castle."

Suddenly, he started shaking. Seeing him going red trying not to burst out laughing, she thought back to what she had said. "Shit, no, that's not what I meant. I meant, GAHH." She smacked her forehead, sliding it down her face, trying to figure out how she could have said something so stupid.

At this point, he was nearly falling off the sofa. Tears streamed down his face and he clutched his stomach as he doubled over in laughter. Soon enough, he recovered,

"Oh my God. Oh my God. That was hilarious."

"I really don't think it was that funny, Castle."

"But, but Kate. It was hilarious."

"Yes, you mentioned."

"But, Kaate."

"Okay, it was pretty funny. There, happy? A distraction, she desperately needed a distraction.

Hey, didn't you want to play a game of some sorts?"

"Oh yeaaah."

"Any ideas, yet?"

"Uh, how about….20 Questions?"

"How do you play that?"

"Well we ask each other 20 questions, and we each answer them honestly. No lying, and no leaving out details. And if it's a yes/no question, you can't say maybe. You up for it?"

"Hmmm. Okay, fine. As long as you stop whining." She shut her book, without looking at the page number. That page number was ingrained in her memory forever. "Start."

"This is going to be so much fun." Castle grinned, rubbing his hands together, while Kate sighed, wondering what she had just gotten herself into.


	2. Question 1

**Author's Note : Ha! Finally writing an author's note because I figured out how. Just wanted to thank all my followers, favourites and reviewers. It means so much that you did. So, I have 20 Q to do, each chapter will have a question from Castle and Beckett each. So, that's alot of questions. If you have any suggestions, or something you want to see here, please feel free to PM or review. Thanks. :)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Castle, we'd have Castle every day, all the time. Without one single hiatus. And I'd be writing scripts not fanfictions. None of which is happening. It's easy enough to conclude I don't own Castle, right?**

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Chapter 2, Question 1

"Okay, so I ask the first question?"

"Yep."

"Hmmm..."

Rick racked his brain for a decent question. He didn't want to freak her out, by asking too serious of a question, but he wanted something meaningful, at the same time.

"Alright. Got it.. Did you have any pets as a kid?"

Kate stared at him incredulously.. She raised her eyebrow.

"Really? That's your question? I thought you'd ask me about my first time or something."

"Oh, don't worry, that comes later." He waggled his eyebrows, smirking. "Now answer."

"Ha! Funny. Okay. Here goes.

My first pet was when I was 4. I had been begging for a pet since Tommy Matthews had a frog and Linda Carlson had a fish. It didn't seem fair to me. So, one day, after endless pouting and crying and begging, my parents took me to the pound, and asked me to pick out a puppy.

I was so excited Castle. I wanted them all."

She paused a minute, reminiscing in the memory, the soft smile that he loved so much gracing her beautiful face.

"But, in the end, I picked up this little adorable lab. I played with him for a while, and on our drive back, we tried out names for him. We ended up naming him Judge."

"Let me guess, your parents' suggestion?"

"Surprisingly no. My mom wanted to name him, uh, Pogo, I think and my dad wanted to name him Lucky. I came up with Judge all by myself. My parents were pretty proud."

"Huh. Even at age 4, lil Beckett was a smartass."

"Shut up. Anyway. Judge and I became really close over the years. Other than my parents, he was the only comfort I had. He was there for everything, my first kiss, my first breakup, my first hangover, he was there. And then, a few months after my 18th birthday, he fell really sick. Which was expected. He was 14, which is pretty old for a dog. When he died, a couple of months later, my world fell apart. I was heartbroken. But I moved on, told myself that he'd want me to be strong. And then, a few months later, my mom died. And I couldn't handle it. I just couldn't be strong anymore. That's when I threw myself into becoming a police. I worked my way to homicide, just for them. But, even now, I miss them both so much Rick."

"Aww, sweetie.. It's okay. These are one of those bittersweet memories, remember? Just focus on the good ones, Kate. You're lucky. I never had a pet. We moved around too much, following Mother and her roles wherever they went. And as for parents, I never knew my father. Still don't. Just focus on the good, sweetie."

He kissed her hair, rubbed her arm up and down, comforting her as much as possible. After a couple of minutes, he broke the silence.

"You okay?"

"Mmhmm. You're right, it's bittersweet. Those were great times. And Rick?"

"Yeah?"

"Just because I'm sad, doesn't mean you get to call me sweetie."

Rick choked out a laugh. "Sorry, babe."

"Shut it kitten."

"Kaaaaate."

"Stop whining WriterBoy."

He pouted.

Oh stop being such a baby. It's my turn right?"

Instantly, he brightened up. "Mmhmm."

"Okay, if we had kids, what would you name them?"

"Our kids?" He smiled softly, thinking of the thought.

"Yeah, just go with it. So? What would you name them?

"Well..." He grinned. "I would..."

"Before you even suggest it, we're not naming our kids Rook, Derek or Nikki." jabbing her finger hard into his chest with each name.

"Damn, you got me. Why not? They're megacool."

"Rick..."

"Okay, okay, sorry. Please don't poke me again. Okay. Seriously? Well, if we had a son, I'd name him Johnathan Roy Castle and if we had a daughter, she'd be named Amanda Johanna Castle. Tributes to two people that they'd grow up hearing about."

Suddenly, Kate's eyes welled up and before she could stop them, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Kate? What happened? You don't like the names?"

He wrapped his arms around her, tears soaking his shirt. He was officially confused.

"Kate?". No response. Uh-oh, better do damage control.

"Kate, I'm so sorry. If you don't like the names, we can always call them Tabitha or David or something. Kate... Just tell me what's wrong."

After a few minutes, the crying finally stopped, silent gasps for air filling the air. "Kate?"

"Tabitha and David? Really?"

He chuckled. "Sorry, those were the only two pathetic names I could come up with. What's the matter Kate? You didn't like 'em? Cause that's okay. It's not like I gave this a lot of thought or anything..."

"Rick." she said softly.

"Actually, I did, but that doesn't matter. What matters is you."

"Rick." she said, a little louder this time.

"You're the important one. Always, and..."

"Castle, just shut up and listen to me." she yelled.

"Sorry."

"Right. You silly man. I wasn't crying because I didn't like the names. Castle, they're amazing names. They're perfect. I was crying, because I realised when we do have kids, they won't be around to see it. Rick, our children will never meet them."

And again, she collapsed into tears.

"Hey. I know, I know. It sucks. But, that's the way it is. And as much as they will never get to meet them, they'll have plenty of other strong people around to support them and tell them stories. Uncle Kev, Uncle Javi, Aunt Lanie, Papa Jim, Lex and Mother will always be there . Whether it is to tell them stories, or support them. They'll be like they're Judges. Hey! Did you see what I did there?"

He grinned.

"Jokes aside, these kids will be the luckiest kids in the world, Kate, I promise you that."

She smiled, softly. "Rick?"

"Hmm?"

She pecked his lips, as she got up.

"You forgot about the sexy, rich, witty, best selling author."

"Yes, of course. I'll always be there for them. Always." He said, raising his eyebrows, confused.

"You? Oh, I was talking about Patterson." She smirked.

Gasp. "Kate, you didn't."

You could hear her laughter all the way from the kitchen. Castle grinned, following her to the kitchen for payback.

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**Comments? **


	3. Question 2

**Author's Note: I'm so proud of myself. This chapter was written in one hour, flat. There's more fluff than questioning in this one, but what to do. This one's for Ritika, who's always so eager to read my newest chapters. Shh. I haven't shown her this one yet, so she's gonna kill me. :D**. **Let me know, guys.. **

**Disclaimer : Pfft. I wish.**

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"So, Patterson, huh?" He said, tauntingly, raising his eyebrows. He had started to make the pizza they were having for dinner. Homemade pizza is the best, he had said. So here he was, chopping tomatoes and onions for his pizza.

"Hmm. Just so irresistible." She grinned, as she opened the water bottle she was holding, and hoisted herself up on the counter.

"Irresistible, huh? I'll show you irresistible."

He inched towards her, with a seductive smirk on his face. He placed his hands on the side of her suave hips, her denim shorts firmly shaping her body. Her long legs that seemed to go on forever, dangled, catching sight of the thread anklet he had never noticed before. His 'mission' was almost lost until he looked back up at her face, cheeky grin still in place.

"Show me? But Rick, your Patterson collection is on the other side of the room. Unless, of course, he's coming over for poker, cause you know the real thing is always so much…."

"Oh shut up you." He fused his mouth with hers, making her forget all thoughts of Patterson or Connelly or any other such nonsense. She ran her fingers through his hair, as they pulled apart, softly smiling.

"Doesn't that happen in one of Patterson's books?"

She felt a soft tap on her head, and suddenly, something gooey started running down her face. In horror, she recognized the substance as she felt her face. He had cracked an egg on her head. An egg! Right after they made out! The nerve of this man child. She growled. "Rick!"

He put a fist in his mouth to stop laughing, and walked away, getting back to work on his pizza. She jumped off the counter, planning her next move. "Now, now Ricky, do you really think that was such a wise move?"

"Wise? Nope. Funny? Hell yeah."

"I don't really find it that funny." Truthfully, she had started panicking. She needed a plan.

"Really then? Well, I don't appreciate the thought cheating."

"Thought cheating?" She paused, looking thoroughly confused. "Rick, what are you talking about?"

"You can't think about Patterson's books and Patterson's looks and Patterson's charm and what not when I'm right there. It's not fair. He's not better than me. So you can't think about him. It's practically cheating!" He said, pouting, like a 5 year old.

And suddenly, her plan was formed.

"Aww, honey, is that what this is about? Sweetheart, I'm so sorry. That's not how I meant it. Rick.." She sauntered towards him, like a lioness stalking her prey.

"Hey hold on there. You called me honey and sweetheart in the same sentence without any sarcasm. What's going on?"

Shit. He knew her so well.

"Nothing!" She smiled innocently.

"Kaaaate?"

Splash! He was answered with a whole litre of cold water in his face.

"Oh my God! Cold! Oh my God! Oh my.. Come here you!"

She giggled as she ran away from him, dodging all his attempts to catch her. Finally, after much effort, he cornered her on the couch. He pushed her back, so that his knees were next to both of her thighs, somewhat straddling her, but not for the same purpose. "Now, Ms Beckett, you will pay."

"Riiiick?"

His fingers jabbed into her side, and she squirmed. "Ah, ticklish are we?"

She bit back a laugh as her jabbed her on the other side. "No."

"You sure?"

"Mmhmm."

"Okay, then."

And suddenly, he was tickling her everywhere. She squirmed and laughed, till tears streamed down her face. "Rick! Please, stop!" She breathed out, laughing each syllable.

"Say it. I, Kate Beckett, am ticklish."

"I, Kate Beckett, am ticklish. Now please, stop!" He slowed down on the tickling, but not enough for her to stop squirming.

"Now. Rick Castle is the sexiest, most amazing author I have ever met."

"I must not tell lies." She wheezed out.

Suddenly, the tickling ceased. "A Harry Potter reference? That's so hot. But sadly, not enough." He tickled her even more.

"Castle! Please stop! Oh my gosh."

"Then say it."

"It."

"That's not what I meant. Kate, darling, can you really afford to be funny right now?" He tickled her even more, especially at a spot where she was extremely sensitive.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Rick Castle is the sexiest, most amazing author I have ever met." She gasped.

His fingers stopped moving and he got off the couch.

"There we go. Was that really so hard?"

She shook her head no, still trying to catch her breath.

After 5 minutes, he returned.

"You're an ass." She grumbled, as Rick handed her a glass of water.

He chuckled, putting an arm around her shoulders as he sat down. She leaned her head against his chest.

"Pizza's in the oven."

"Okay. Can I ask the second question first, this time?" she said.

"You still wanna play?"

"Yeah, of course. This is fun."

He gave her an 'I-told-you-so' look.

"By all means, go ahead."

"Kay. My question is, where in the world did you learn to tickle like that, Rick?"

His face instantly fell. "You promise not to laugh?"

"I'll try."

He frowned.

"Hey, tell me. I promise I won't laugh, okay?"

He sighed. "Okay. When Meredith left, Alexis was just 3. She would cry herself to sleep every night, wondering why she wasn't good enough for mommy. It broke my heart, Kate. That's when I decided that my little girl would never go to sleep sad. So, every night, right before she went to bed, I would tickle her so much, that she'd laugh and beg and eventually just pass out on the sofa. I did this for years, until she finally got over Meredith leaving. But until then, I learned how to tickle. The most ticklish places, the places that actually hurt, the works. I even Googled it and practiced it on Mr Teddy." He looked down shyly at his hands.

Kate smiled at him softly. "Rick, that's so sweet. I would never laugh at that. That is the most adorable thing I have ever heard. Alexis is lucky to have such a great dad."

"Thanks. And it doesn't hurt that I'm rich and ruggedly handsome either, does it?" He grinned, waggling his eyebrows.

And her Rick was back.

"You? Ruggedly handsome, please!"

The room was silent for a minute.

"Rick, you know I'm kidding right?"

Sigh. "Yeah, I know."

"Hey, look at me."

When he kept staring at their intertwined hands, she pushed his face up so that she could look at him. She was shocked to find tears swimming in his blue orbs.

"Rick? What's the matter?"

"Sometimes I think, this is too good. It's too easy. It's too right. Maybe I'm not good enough for you. I mean, look at you. Maybe you deserve better. Better than me." He rubbed his thumb against hers, soothingly.

"Castle, don't be ridiculous. You have a ridiculously large ego, and listen well, cause I'm only going to say this once."

He smiled.

"Your books saved me, Rick. They propped me up after my mom died. Even before the badge. You saved my life, before you even knew I existed. So don't you ever tell me that I deserve better, got that?"

He smiled gratefully at her. "Yes ma'am."

She kissed his cheek and snuggled into his side.

"I believe it's my turn to ask a question, Ms. Beckett."

"Yes, I believe it is Mr Castle."

"What's with the anklet?"

"Oh this one? She lifted her foot, displaying the brightly coloured worn out loop of thread around her ankle.

"Mmhmm."

"Oh. Good times. Me and my mom made this one of the days I was sick. We were watching Temptation Lane, and my tonsils were killing me, so my mom got out the thread and taught me all kinds of patterns with different colours. We made this one together, and I haven't taken it off since."

"It's beautiful."

"Thank you."

"You're beautiful."

"Cheesy much?"

"Always."

She grinned, tugging him off the couch, and into the bedroom. Pizza could wait. She couldn't deal with that much cheesy at once.

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**What did you think? Review/PM please? It's great motivation. And no, I'm not begging. I'm not Castle-like pouting. Not one bit. **


	4. Question 3

**A.N : Hey everyone! Thanks for the amazing reviews and follows for this story. It's truly awesome. I will definitely be continuing this one. As for this chapter, I didn't really like it, but Kat did. So this one's for Kamkatzi, who desparately wanted the 4th chapter. Let me know. :D**

**Disclaimer : Pfft. Please.**

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**Chapter 4 : Question # 3**

They were cruising along in his Ferrari, top down, shades on, wind blowing in their faces. They were heading to the Hamptons for a week, just as a vacation, an escape for the city. He was driving, which was new. She was actually enjoying it. Not that she would ever admit it, but he was a pretty good driver. Ew. Not like that. Or did she mean it, like that? Was she actually debating with her own mind? Oh God. Castle was rubbing off on her. Oh, ew. Oh gosh, no. Oh, forget it. She huffed in annoyance.

"You just don't want to admit I'm a decent driver, do you?"

He smirked, as if he was reading her mind.

"How did.. But I didn't…"

"Kate. Please. I think I know you well enough to know what you're thinking."

"Not always, you don't." she said softly.

"What do you mean?"

He wasn't accusing. Just confused.

"Castle, I don't want to talk about it. Let's go to the Hamptons, have fun, let loose."

But he wasn't having any of it.

"Nuh-uh. Tell me. Please?"

She looked down, shaking her head no as she played with a strand of hair.

"Ooh. This is my third question."

"What?"

"20 Questions. This is my third question."

She blew upwards, effectively removing the strand of hair she had been playing with from her face. Why had she ever agreed to play that thing?

"Okay fine. Remember 2 years ago? When you were going to the Hamptons?"

"Yeaaah. And I asked you to go along but you said no because you were going with Demming? Oh yeah, I forgot. I never really asked about that. How was it?"

"I didn't go." she almost whispered.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

She cleared her throat, bracing herself for the impact.

"I didn't go."

"What? Why?" He was officially confused. Concerned, a little smug, yes, but mostly confused. "Kate, did he do something? Did he dump you? Cause I will totally…"

She laughed at his boyish overprotectiveness.

"No, Castle. There's no need. I dumped him. Not the other way around."

"YOU dumped HIM? What?"

"Yeah. Before your party. I wanted to go with you, Rick. I was going to tell you, that I was ready. Ready for the Hamptons, for us. But then.."

"Gina."

She nodded, looking down at her lap, fingers pulling at the seams of her jeans.

"Sigh. Kate, I had no idea, I swear. If I had, I wouldn't have taken her. I can't believe I wasted 2 years. You were going to come? Oh God. And then I didn't even call. I'm such an idiot. No wonder Lanie and the boys were so mad at me. Gosh, Kate, I'm so sorry."

"Castle, no. Don't apologize. It's not your fault. Yeah, it hurt, but I should have told you. You couldn't have known. And you never know. We could have just crashed and burned 2 years ago and never spoken to each other again. I kind of like where we are right now."

He grinned. "Yeah, me too. But I think I'll like where we are better when we're in the pool. And you're in a skimpy little bikini. Or better, naked."

She rolled her eyes, the corners of her mouth turning up. "In your dreams, WriterBoy."

"Oh you have no idea."

He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, causing Kate to whack his arm.

"Ow. That was painful."

"Oh speaking of which, what happened between you and Gina?"

"How is that speaking of… Oh I get it. You're right, they're both painful. Is this your 3rd question as well?"

She nodded, smiling slightly at the comment he had passed. Yeah, they weren't the biggest Gina fans.

"And I'm guessing you want to know about both times."

She nodded again.

"Well, the first time, I think it was both of our faults. I just wanted a mother figure for Alexis. Meredith had left, and I wasn't sure if I could be enough for her. Gina was always around. She was pretty, smart and Alexis liked her, so I thought it would work. And I think she felt it would be easier to do her job that way. But we both were wrong. It turned out to be more like a business partnership than a marriage. She didn't really know the real me, just the Castle and publicity catered me, and I don't think she really liked the flip side. At the same time, I never let her get too close to Alexis, or gave her enough attention as my wife. Eventually, we were just fighting about anything and everything, and to spare both of our careers and our relationship, we broke it off. The second time, well, we ended up fighting about you actually."

"Me?"

"Yeah. Apparently I was too close to my muse. She thought there was something going on. She thought I was cheating. And I'd never do that. So, I broke up with her. And that's that."

He looked at her, expecting some sort of a reaction.

"That's so weird."

"What?"

"That's exactly why I broke up with Josh."

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**Comments and Suggestions? Please feel free to PM or Review. :)**


	5. Question 4

**A/N : So this is basically a continuation from the last chapter. I've honestly been too lazy to write. But, thanks to constant prodding from Kat, here I am. This chapter's for Rhea C., who is the most hopeless romantic I will ever know. Rhea, this one's for you, because you taught me that it's never too early to give someone a gift. Much love. :)x**

**Disclaimer: Sigh, if only.**

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"Wait, what? Seriously? That's why you broke up with Dr. Motorcycle Boy? I've got to hear this story."

The pure glee was written all over his face.

"I'm just gonna assume that's your 4th question."

Sigh. "If you must."

"Hey, I could just not tell you."

She smirked, knowing he'd fall for it.

"No, no, sorry. Fine! 4th question."

Kate grinned. She knew him so well. "Well, it started in the hospital, after I…"

"After you got shot."

"Yeah. After I got shot. I was on morphine and I think I was slightly high on those drugs. I think I was slightly loopy actually."

Rick cleared his throat, wanting to get to the main story.

"Right, besides the point. So, my father comes in and he was telling me how scared everyone was when I was in the operating room. And then, he told me about the fight. Which reminds me… Why didn't you tell me, Castle?"

"Tell you how scared everyone was or tell you about the fight?"

"The fight."

"I thought you already knew. And, I was scared you'd agree with him."

"With whom? Josh?"

He nodded.

"You thought I'd agree with Josh?"

She was extremely confused, an incredulous tone lacing her voice.

"Yeah. I mean, even I agreed with him. It was my fault, it is my fault. If I hadn't pushed you into your mother's case…"

"There probably wouldn't be an us. I would have never found Coonan or Raglan or the truth from Montgomery. I would have probably just stayed with Josh."

"I could've lost you Kate. You could've died, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself. How would I be able to look your father in the eyes, especially knowing I was the reason you died?"

"Rick, just, please, let it go. It's not your fault. I would have gone down that road anyway. You stopped me from going back into the rabbit hole. If anything, you saved me. And I… I love you for that. You saved me from myself."

"I love you too Kate. And I'd do it again and again, if it means I get to see you smile every day for the rest of my life. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

She smiled softly, squeezing his right hand as he drove, lacing their fingers together. After a few minutes, she realised she still had a story to complete.

"So… Josh. After hearing that he blamed you, caused a screaming match and shoved you, I was pissed. So when he came in, I blew up at him. He just didn't see it. He couldn't believe I was sticking up for you. We kind of had a screaming match, right there. I can still remember it.

"_You got into a screaming match? With Castle? Right here in the hospital? What the hell, Josh?"_

"_He had it coming, Kate. That asshole got you shot."_

"_Watch it, that's my partner you're talking about."_

"_Are you kidding me right now? You're defending stupid freaking WriterBoy?"_

"_Maybe I am. It's not his fault, Josh."_

"_The hell it's not. If he hadn't shoved you back into your mom's case, you wouldn't be here right now."_

"_And what about us, Josh? Would we be here right now? Would we still be together, if I hadn't gotten shot?"_

"_Maybe, if you weren't getting your freak on with WriterBoy."_

"_What's that supposed to mean?"_

"_C'mon Kate. Don't tell me that you guys are just friends. You have to admit that you guys…"_

"_We WHAT, Josh?"_

"_That you guys did it. Had some fun, while I was in Africa."_

"_Seriously? Do you not even know me? I would never cheat on you. You know that. And Castle is just my friend. He's my best friend, Josh, nothing else."_

"_Some best friend, he is."_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_Best friends aren't supposed to be getting into your pants, Kate. Don't give me that bullshit."_

_She gaped at him. The nerve. _

"_I haven't slept with Castle, if that's what you've been not-so-subtly implying. I've said it once, I'll say it again. He's my best friend. Do I trust him with my problems? Yes. Do I trust him with my life? Yes. Have I slept with him? No. Why does this keep coming up, Josh?"_

"_That's it! Right there. You trust him with your life? I'm the one that saved you. You would've been dead if it wasn't for me."_

_She sighed. How could she have such a thick-skulled boyfriend?_

"_What about the thousands of times Castle's saved my life? The freezer, the bomb, the gun battles, he's saved me. Of course I trust him."_

"_But, I'm your boyfriend! How is it that you have time to go out for a drink with him, but not to come over and…"_

"_Have sex? Cause I feel like that's all we do nowadays."_

_He stared at her, eyebrow raised. "You have an issue with that?"_

"_I'm not a whore, Josh."_

"_Evidence suggests otherwise."_

"_I'm sorry?"_

_She was appalled. He just called her a whore. The nerve of this guy… Now, she was furious._

"_Come on, Kate. You flirt around with your partner in bar, and then come home and sleep around with your boyfriend. You take care of his bitch of a carrot head daughter…"_

"_Ex-boyfriend."_

"_What?"_

"_I said, ex-boyfriend. We're over Josh. You don't get to talk about my partner like that, and you sure as hell don't get to talk about Alexis like that. She is the sweetest girl I have ever met. We're done. Get out of here, and take all of your stuff from my apartment. Give my keys to my dad. I never want to see you ever again."_

_Josh stared at her flabbergasted. _

"_Kate, don't be stupid. I didn't mean it baby, I was just mad."_

_He leaned in to kiss her, but she moved away._

"_Don't touch me. And get out, before I shoot you."_

"He was so lucky I didn't have my gun."

"You threatened to shoot him? Seriously?"

He was grinning, eyes lit up.

"Yeah, try not to look so happy about it."

She smirked.

He smiled.

"Thank you. For doing that. For standing up for me, and for Alexis. It means a lot."

"Always."

They remained silent for a while, enjoying the sun and the wind in their faces as they drove on the highway.

"So, Rick, it's my turn right? For my 4th question?"

"Mmhmm."

"What are 5 things about me that you love?"

"5? Sweetheart, 5 things aren't enough."

"Flattery isn't getting you anywhere, bud. We're already on our way to the Hamptons. Nice try."

He sighed, placing his hand over his chest dramatically.

"How you wound me, Detective."

"Get over yourself, Castle, and answer the question."

"Eager to get answers, are we?"

"Shut it."

He grinned. He loved getting to her. Their daily banter was practically what he lived for. And other stuff too, but mostly the banter. Now he had to answer the question. And god be damned, if he was going to mess this up.

"Let's see. The first thing I think, is the puzzle. The layers. I love that about you. Every time we talk, I learn something different about you, something new. How your eyes shine when you eat pizza, and how going to Rockefeller's secretly reminds you of your mom. And then, second, is probably your smile. Your smile could light up the world. No exaggerations. I know it lights up mine. I feel instantly happy when I see you smile. I think the joy probably bursts out of me when you laugh. And then there's your eyes, I could get lost in them. If we never had to say words ever again, I'd be okay, because your eyes tell me everything. I can tell what kind of mood you're in just by looking at your eyes. They change colour you know? According to your moods? And of course, you're brave. One of the bravest people I know. You've been to hell and back, and you still manage to get up every morning and put a smile on your face. And last, you're hot. Like seriously, Kate. You're really hot. Every man in the room turns to look at you when you walk in. That's how hot you are."

She grinned at him, a blush gracing her cheeks, as she looked down at her lap.

"Thank you. That is the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me."

"Well, an extraordinary review for an extraordinary girl."

He smiled, finding her shyness extremely cute. He turned on some music, and started singing along.

"I'm surprised."

"What about?"

"You don't want to know your 5 things."

"Well, I didn't want to pressurize you by choosing just 5. There must be like a million. I'm pretty awesome."

"Please, let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"That's another thing. Your sarcastic badassness."

"Sarcastic badassness? Aren't you supposed to be a writer, or something?"

She raised her eyebrow.

"That's the only way to put it, Kate. You're sarcastically badass."

"Thanks….I guess?"

"You're welcome."

"So, 5 things. You make me laugh. No matter how bad my day is, I always know you'll be around to make me laugh. And you know me, so well, sometimes even better than I know myself. I love our banter, how we're constantly fighting about petty things. I love your books, and the way you write. I love the way you're serious one moment, and hopelessly immature the next."

"I knew it! I knew you were a fangirl. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

"That's exactly what I meant."

He grinned. "Seriously, though. Thank you."

"Anytime, Castle."

"I love you Kate."

"I love you too Rick."

"Does that mean you're wearing s skimpy bikini in the pool?"

"Don't push it."

She wore her sunglasses, and closed her eyes.

This was gonna be a long ride.

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**Hoped you liked it.. Please comment/PM/review... All my followers, thanks so much for reading! But, I have no idea if anyone's actually reading my story, so, it's a little depressing. Plus, I need ideas and advice, so, review! Thanks.**


	6. Question 5

**A/N : I'm really sorry that this chapter took so long. I had exams and I was super busy... But I'm sorry. I'm not too sure about this chapter, but I've already rewritten it twice, and I give up. Let me know! Hugs to Kam and Rhee, as always, for their continued support no matter how crappy my writing gets. Idea credit for the first question in the chapter goes to 'addicted2broadway89'. Thanks alot.  
**

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Kate blinked her eyes open, her arm coming up to shield them from the bright sun. She groaned.

"Hello there, sleepy head." said Rick, in a singsong voice accompanied by a signature Castlesque smirk.

Kate stared at him, still sleepy and disoriented. She straightened herself, and stretched her legs out, as far as the car would allow.

"Mm. How long was I out?"

"Eh. 45 minutes, tops? You were like a dead log."

"You would know."

"What?"

"Staring is creepy. Especially when I'm asleep and you're supposed to be watching the road."

"But.. You were… Log.. How?"

"DETECTIVE Kate Beckett, Castle. Or did you forget?"

"Me? Forget your sexy badassness? Please."

"I thought it was sarcastic badassness."

"It is. It's sexy sarcastic badassness."

"Rick, that makes no sense."

"You're too badass to get it."

"That doesn't make any sense either."

"It's a writer thing? You're beautiful?"

Castle stammered, while Beckett bit the inside of her cheek, desperately trying not to laugh.

"Right. Hey, that reminds me. You never did tell me why you wanted to become a writer."

"Easing ourselves into the 5th question are we?"

"Maybe."

He grinned, eyes sparkling, signalling the start of a great story.

"It all started back in the early 1980's."

"Wow, you're really old, aren't you?"

He gave her a patronizing look.

"A handsome, young lad was gearing up for the real world."

"Handsome? Real world? Castle, I wanted the story to be about you. I already know how Patterson became a writer."

"You really have a thing for Patterson don't you?"

"Well, he really is the only handsome writer I know. Other than Alex Conrad, of course." she said, trying to keep a straight face.

Gasp. "Kate! That's… that's not funny. Not even a little bit. I mean. Conrad? Really? You're killing me here."

He was starting to rant. She burst out laughing.

"Castle. I thought I made this clear. I'm a one writer girl."

"And I'm a one detective man." he said smiling promisingly.

"Except for Esposito."

He winked at her.

"Who said I was talking about you?"

"I knew you guys make out during interrogation."

She grinned cheekily.

"Kay, that's a bit much." said Castle, clearly disturbed by that visual imagery.

"Sorry."

"But seriously, Kate. You're the only detective for me. No one else even comes close."

She smiled warmly at him, affection shining in her eyes.

"Come on you sap! Tell the story, already."

"Okay, okay. My story's actually depressingly boring."

"Boring?" Gasp. "How could there be a boring Castle story? Did you feel that acorn? The world's coming to an end! Ahh!"

Rick raised an eyebrow.

"You're really bored, aren't you?"

"Grasping at straws here, Rick."

"Haha. Okie doke. Why I became a writer? I always loved writing. As a kid, I would stay holed up in my room just writing something or the other. I'd miss dinner, not shower – sometimes my mother wouldn't even know where I was. When I would come out, it would be like I had been stranded on an island, or something. I would scarf down food like there was no tomorrow. One day, in my first days of college, I had just finished one of my stories and one of Mother's director friends dropped in. He took one look at my manuscript, and submitted it to several publishers. As you already know, it was rejected 21 times. Finally, the 22nd time, it was accepted, and we have what you call 'In A Hail of Bullets'. I still have Black Pawn's rejection letter, actually. It's framed in my office, as motivation."

"Black Pawn? As in Gina, Black Pawn?"

"Yep."

"They must be really killing themselves over that one."

"I still hold it over Gina to piss her off."

They both grinned.

"So, Ms Beckett. I believe it is my turn."

"I suppose so , Mr Castle."

"Tell me the story behind your tattoo."

"The butterfly tattoo?"

"Mmhmm."

"Uh, okay, sure. Well, uh, as you know, I'm kindascaredofbutterflies." She muttered, quietly, awfully embarrassed.

"I'm sorry what was that? Scared of butterflies? No, I had no idea!" Rick smirked, both of them remembering the first time he found out.

_They were sitting on a bench at Central Park, in front of the duck pond. It was one of those lazy days, where Kate wasn't on call, so Castle (sap that he is) decided that it would be a great day to go to the park. _

_They sat quietly, shredding bread and tossing it to the ducks, making small talk as they did. Suddenly, a yellow polka dotted butterfly landed on her thigh. She hadn't noticed it yet, as she was animatedly telling him this story about someone, somewhere, doing something. So he decided to point it out. _

_Kate screeched, nearly jumping off the bench. _

_"Ahh! Castle! Get it away from me! Oh my god! CASTLE!"_

_"Woah, calm down. I think you managed by yourself." He said, grinning._

_"It's not funny, Rick." _

_The death glare really wasn't working out with the flushed cheeks and panic in her eyes._

_"You're scared of butterflies?" He was barely holding it in. _

_"Shut up."_

_"Are you?"_

_"I said shut up, Castle."_

_"Oh my gosh, you totally are. How adorable."_

_She glared at him in response._

_They stared at each other for a while, each in their own thoughts._

_Hey Kate?"_

_"Yes Rick?" _

_"Why do you hate butterflies?"_

_"What do you mean?" She looked at him, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. _

_"Why do you hate 'em? Butterflies are harmless."_

_"Okay. Let's get this straight. Butterflies are NOT harmless. They… fly and stuff."_

_"You're scared of butterflies because they fly?" Rick stared at her, incredulously. The woman hunts down murderers for a living, but a butterfly lands on her and she runs a mile? No way. There had to be a story._

_"Yes. Well, no. Yes. And they're really ugly."_

_He raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing that. _

_"Okay, look. I used to love 'em as a kid. But one time, I was chasing after one, and I tripped, and I swallowed it."_

_"You swallowed it?" _

_Rick's mouth was agape, but his eyes twinkled, finally getting the story he wanted._

_"Yeah, it was terrifying. Imagine having a butterfly down your throat." She shuddered._

_"Oh. Wow. I don't think I'll ever be able to look at butterflies the same way ever again." _

_He mock shuddered. She slugged him._

_"Ow! What was that for?"_

_"For making fun of me."_

_"Kate?"_

_"Go away." The glare didn't quite reach her eyes, as she grinned, faintly blushing. _

_"Kate, I'm sorry. I know how hard opening up to me is. I just think that with your sexy sarcastic badassness, it's a bit funny that you are scared of butterflies. And I promise this secret is ours. I won't tell anyone. But don't worry. Your sexy sarcastic badassness is NOT at stake here."_

_"Oh thank God! What would I have done?"_

_"Shut it."_

_She didn't respond, instead poking her tongue at him._

_"Kate?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_She was hoping it had nothing to do with her fear for butterflies._

_"Can I tell you a joke?"_

_"Sure Castle."_

_Anything to stop with the butterflies._

_"Why didn't the butterfly go to the dance?"_

_"Jesus, Castle, really?"_

_"Cmon Kate. Humour me."_

_Sigh. "Why Castle? Why didn't the butterfly go to the dance?"_

_"Cause it was a mothball. Get it? Get it?"_

_He grinned like a 5 year old, and Kate wasn't sure whether she wanted to smack him or kiss him. He'd had a field day with it ever since, but he never mentioned it to the boys or to Alexis and Martha. Sweet, immature man child._

"Rick."

"Sorry, yeah. I remember. What about it?"

"My mom wasn't really afraid of anything. She was one of the bravest women I have ever known. When she died, I needed something that would be like a tribute to her. So I decided to get a tattoo."

He smiled encouragingly, urging her to continue. She took a deep breath.

"At first, I was only going to get _Vincit Omnia Veritas_. But I dunno, Castle. I walked in there and that butterfly, it was just, wow. It impacted me, and I think getting the butterfly meant getting myself through the hard times. Blue was her favourite colour. That's why the butterfly is blue, and the inscription below it is.."

"Purple. Like a mix of the two of you."

"Exactly."

She smiled softly at him. She could never understand how he got her so easily. She was like an open book to him.

"What did I ever do to get someone as sweet as you?"

""The same thing that I did to deserve such an inspiring muse."

"Call me a muse again, and I'll break your legs."

"Kate! We were having a moment!" he said, with a mock exasperated tone.

She chuckled.

"Sorry."

"It's okay, butterfly." said Rick, smirking.

"Don't you dare."

He only grinned in response.

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**Review please. Reviews are like motivations.. **

**Any comments/ideas/suggestions? Let me know. PM or email me at caskettfreak101 ... :)**


	7. Question 6

**Author's Note: This chapter's for Rhea Chugh. It's her birthday, so this is her birthday gift. If it's not very good, it's because she hasn't read it yet. This one's kind of long, so don't complain that it's too short. *Spoiler Alert* And there's a cliffhanger. A fluffy chapter full of romantic stuff for the girl who always told me I wasn't romantic enough. Kidding, love you loads. Happy Birthday. :)x**

**ANDD. I posted a song recently. It's based on Castle, and it's an original, so PLEASE check it out. I only have 2 views right now, which is kinda sad. So the link is on my profile, please go there for the link. It's called 'Always'. PM me for any comments or questions. Thanks for your support guys. :) **

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**CHAPTER 7: QUESTION 6**

They lounged on the couch. Finally, they had reached the Hamptons. It was beautiful. The place was huge. Kate felt at home, with a wine glass in hand, view of the sea stretching beyond the horizon. But there was one thought that wouldn't stop nagging, pestering her at every moment. She sighed, audibly.

Rick came from behind the sofa and pecked her softly at the base of her neck.

"What's the matter?"

She looked at him, flashing him a watery smile.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it. It's….silly."

He wasn't convinced (obviously). He sat down.

"Kate, what is it? Are you not happy? Do you want to go back? Or is it me? Is this…"

"Castle, shh." she said, softly, as if comforting him. "Has anyone told you that you talk too much?"

"Don't you think the better question would be, whether there's anyone that hasn't?"

"Touché."

"I'm not sure that's the correct usage of touché."

She smacked him lightly, and burrowed her face in his chest. "Shut up."

He laughed, wrapping an arm around her.

"So are you going to tell me?"

Kate could feel the vibrations in his chest. She lifted her head from his chest and sat cross legged next to him, her head now leaning on his left shoulder.

"Nothing. I was just wondering how many people you've brought here."

She looked down at her hands, and chipped off the nail polish from her nails.

"People, as in women?"

She didn't answer, only nodded her head, still looking down.

He smiled. She was so adorable.

"Four."

She looked at him, eyebrows raised, clearly disbelieving him.

"Funny. You've brought 4 girls here. That's what you're telling me?"

"Yep."

"Yeah, right. Castle, look. If you're not gonna tell me the truth, at least don't give me some bullshit answer."

She got up, storming away, throwing the pillow she had in her lap at him. He followed, wondering what the hell had just happened.

"Kate!"

She had already stormed off, walking barefoot on the sand. She looked really good here, in her element. The tank top and denim shorts suited her frame, perfectly hugging her curves, although this wasn't the time to admire that. She stopped, eventually, sitting down on the soft sand, looking out towards the sea.

"Don't, Castle. Just don't."

She wiped away a tear furiously. How could he just lie, like that? He sat down next to her, watching her, as she angrily glared at the horizon. For some odd reason, he was pretty sure it wasn't the horizon that she was ticked off with.

"Kate, I swear. I'm not lying to you."

"You're trying to tell me that in all these years, Rick Castle, playboy extraordinaire has brought 4 girls up here, to his luxurious Hamptons house?" She scoffed. "Please."

He caressed her face, wiping away a stray tear with the pad of his thumb.

"Atleast let me explain, before you get mad at me?"

She turned to look at him, and he took that as an invitation to continue.

"4 girls. Alexis. Mother. Gina. And you. 4 girls. This is a family home, Kate, you know that. It's never been a place for my flings. Alexis and I have the best memories here and I would never tarnish that, for some meaningless blond bimbo. Never. This is the place that I want to build memories with you, Kate. For us, for our children, for our children's children, for our children's children's children…. You get the point."

She laughed softly. He was such a kid.

"I'm sorry, Rick. That was… That was out of line. I overreacted. I'm sorry. I believe you. It's really sweet, that you only bring the people you care about. And I'm really honoured to be part of that, I am. It's just that…."

"Kate."

"Hmm?"

She looked at him, trying to convey the emotions and everything she wanted to say through her eyes. He took her hand in hers, softly rubbing his thumb against the back of her palm.

"Why don't you tell me what this is really about?"

He spoke softly, like a man would to his child. She shook her head, forgetting that this man knew her better than anyone.

"My mom loved the beach. It was her favourite place to go to. She would go to where the waves break, hair flying with the wind and she'd just stand. Me and my dad, we'd build sandcastles and run around, but my mom, she'd just stand there. And being here, it reminds me of her. It reminds me that no matter what, she's gone, and I'll never see her standing like that again."

More tears rolled down her cheeks. He wiped her tears with his shirt, and held her, whispering soft words of comfort in her ear. Soon, she stopped crying.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"I got your shirt all wet."

"That's okay. I know a great way to get wet."

He grinned.

Rick lifted her, bridal style and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You're disgusting, you know that?"

He smiled. She had the wrong idea. But, hey, he wasn't about to correct her.

"Hey, Castle? The house is that way."

"Oh, I know."

He smirked at her, and Kate suddenly became aware of her surroundings. They were knee deep, in the water. He grinned at her, evilly, waggling his eyebrows.

"Richard Edgar Alexander Rodgers Castle, you put me down right now."

She tried to give him her scariest glare, but he only grinned cheekily. He was immune to all of it now, especially since he had seen her naked. She clung to his t-shirt, clutching at it like it was a lifeline.

"As you wish, my lady."

And just like that, he tossed her into the water, laughing as she let out the most girly shriek he had ever heard from her. She came back up, spluttering and gasping for air.

"You did NOT just do that. Jackass. You are going to pay for that." She poked him hard, in the chest, but he still couldn't bring himself to stop laughing.

Dripping wet Beckett wasn't as scary as he thought. Pun unintended.

He ran away, laughing, as Kate chased him. After a couple of minutes, Kate caught up to him, and managed to trip him, sending him flying into the water. When he resurfaced, she was laughing really hard. He wanted to hear that sound again and again and again.

He kissed her softly, on the lips and all was forgotten. All they could think about was each other.

"What do you say we get you out of these wet clothes, huh? Dry up a little bit?"

She took his hand, wordlessly tugging him towards the house. She kissed him on the cheek.

"How long have you been waiting to say that?"

"Gosh, years. You have no idea. Great pick-up line, don't you think?"

"Had you said that to me, I would've slapped you."

"But, you haven't slapped me and if I'm not mistaken, we're heading back to our room to 'dry off'"

She rolled her eyes.

"I'm cold and my Connelly's upstairs."

"You're mean."

He pouted like a 5 year old.

"You're narcissistic."

"Yeah, but I'm a cute narcissist."

"See what I mean?"

"Oh shush you. Hey, did you realise, we played 20 Questions? That was our 6th question."

"Oh, I didn't even notice. But I'm glad we can just tell each other things without needing to be forced to. It feels good."

He grins, pecking her on the cheek.

"Come on WriterBoy. Let's see if there's enough room for you, me and your ego in that bed."

"Oooh. Challenge accepted."

"You really need to stop watching that show."

"Please. That's not happening. Barney's way too cool."

"Okay, nice to know that you're bromancing a fake TV character, but I'm freezing here, and you mentioned something about drying off?"

"Yes! Let's go, Kate!"

They sprinted off into the house, ever so eager to 'dry off'.

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Soon after, they were plenty dried off. After a quick nap, they got up to make a snack. Rick turned the radio on and "Super Bass" started to play. He made some pasta wildly dancing to the music and making faces as he sang, grinning as Kate watched, laughing from her spot on the kitchen counter. Once he was done, he sauntered up to her.

"Dance with me?"

"To Super Bass? You're kidding, right?"

Her eyes twinkled, and he already knew that she was going to come with him.

"Yes. To Super Bass. Come on."

He tugged her off the counter, and started dancing, pulling at her arms alternatively.

By then, the next song had started playing. Battle Scars rang out, and they continued dancing, doing their silly little dance.

Rick let her go, so that she could do her own thing, swaying her hips to the music. Her head rolled back, and her body jerked to the beat. Eyes closed, she was lost in the music, and he? He was lost in her.

"Kate?"

He put his hands on her hips, as she continued to sway.

Opening her eyes, she replying with an answering "Hmm?".

They looked at each other, softly. They looked into each other, without judgement or fear, just pure love, and it felt amazing.

"Move in with me?"

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**Ooh. Cliffhanger. Sorry, folks. I'll probably update soon, have another birthday present to give. But let me know what you thought, since I didn't have my awesome editor to edit this. Much love. **


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